MSNBC Gets A 60% Black Audience Increase In 2012

MSNBC Gets A 60% Black Audience Increase In 2012

MSNBC yesterday reported a huge increase in their overall ratings, a 20% increase, in 2012, no doubt due to the 2012 Presidential campaign, but also due to a another major factor – black viewership.

The network announced an incredible increase in their already large number of black viewers – a whopping 60.5% increase during the past year.

That’s compared to CNN, whose black audience increased last year by 23.7%, while Fox News’ black audience (both of them) decreased by the same amount of 23.7%. The result is that now black viewers only make up a paltry 1.4% of Fox’s regular viewership of scared, angry, really old white guys who think some black guy is going to break into their homes, rob them and have sex with their wives and daughters (and even worse is that they’ll like it)

Personally I think 1.4% is too high. I always have this feeling that whenever a black person walks by Fox News headquarters, sirens go off and security guards rush in and grab Roger Ailes and lock him into a panic room, until the threat passes the buliding.

But I digress…

No doubt MSNBC’s more progressive leaning approach to the news and their wide array of black hosts and pundits such as Toure, Melissa Harris-Perry, Tamron Hall, Joy-Ann Reid (pictured above and who I predict is headed for her own MSNBC show soon) Karen Finney, Michael Steele, Al Sharpton, Eugene Robinson, Jonathan Capehart,Goldie Taylor and if I’ve forgotten anyone, I’m sorry, have played a large part in the increase in black viewers.

When recently asked about this remarkable development, MSNBC president Phil Griffith said: “I think we made a commitment, we decided, that in order for this channel to succeed, that we had to reflect the country. This meant that we had to be part of the country in ways that the other channels weren’t.”

He further continued, saying that:

”We have a diverse on-air group of people, because that matters, and people want to know that we reflect their world. And it’s not just a single show – it’s across the board. You look at the guests every hour and we make sure that we have women, African Americans, everything, and I think to spend a day watching MSNBC is to see America as we have seen it.”

Finally, he added that:

“It wasn’t like we said ‘Oh, we have to have a diverse person on here and there,’” he said. “We made a decision. We made a commitment in ideas, issues and everything – the audience followed, and that goes back to four or five years ago. As we grew, we recognized that it was the right thing to do. It’s giving a voice to people in these kinds of programs who don’t always get a voice. Our look is as diverse as any on mainstream TV. I’m incredibly proud of it. It’s not like we decided ‘We’re going to increase our African American viewership by 60%,’ but I’m thrilled that it happened, and it says a lot about what we’ve been doing over the last few years.”